Sep 8
Not a surprise this one, although there was a thought that Nigel Adkins would use the emergency loan market for a back-up keeper, but out-of-contract 33-year old Stephen Henderson signed a one-year contract yesterday.
In the 5 years since leaving Charlton, Stephen Henderson has only played 16 first team matches, but he did have a good spell with us over two seasons and was a popular player amongst a squad that had few endearing qualities at the time.
Please click for moreThe ever reliable Rich Cawley has claimed that Burnley have reached the transfer amount that Duchatelet was hanging out for, thought to be £1m, and Nick Pope is returning from Austria to put pen to paper. I expect him to be unveiled at Turf Moor the same day next week as Johann Berg Gudmundsson.
Cawley also said that Nottingham Forest will make a move for fellow ‘keeper Stephen Henderson. The two keepers combined to help get us relegated but will not be joining the rest of us.
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News breaking this morning by someone close to the situation that yesterday before kick off Chris Solly was dropped from the squad and Johnnie Jackson from the starting XI. This at the insistence of Ms Meire. The reason? Both Solly and Jacko were a little bit too honest at Thursday night’s sponsors’ dinner.
A lot of stuff came out of that evening with almost every player that was willing to talk about off the field activities damning in their comments of the leadership and direction of the club. Almost to a man they agreed that this is the most unnecessary of relegations.
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This is not like watching a slow death, it is like witnessing a murder.
This madness has to stop. Now.
And as for the gutless coward Fraeye, who refused to speak to press and ran onto the team bus leaving Stephen Henderson to apologise to fans. What sort of person does that? Fraeye, Meire, Duchatelet all refusing to talk to us. It is some kind of sick joke.
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Today Guy Luzon was predictably vague when it came to Saturday’s team selection. Tony Watt we think is fit again, Simon Makienok may or may not be as he only started training properly today and Igor Vetokele, well who knows. He didn’t train today as he was ill Luzon said, but obviously not too ill to be in bed, as he was at Sparrows Lane.
Maybe it was jet lag Igor was suffering from as he was surprisingly allowed to make the 12 hour plane journey (one way) to Magadascar to represent Angola in their African Cup of Nations qualifier this week. They drew 0-0 by the way.
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I think few would disagree that Stephen Henderson is the best all round goalkeeper the club have had for a long while, but there is a reason why he has only started around 150 games in 8 seasons. Henderson damaged his ‘other’ shoulder before the friendly last week with Dulwich Hamlet and a scan has revealed that he will need an operation and will be out for the first month of the season.
That is a huge blow, as we know how much we missed him last season and the defence in front of him looks very threadbare presently. Nick Pope played today but has looked nervous on the big stage, but Luzon more than indicated that he will go with the 23-year old as Hendo’s deputy.
I have no doubt that there is a really good goalie in there. Ben Roberts really rated Pope and he has had two storming seasons in League Two at York City and Bury, and that last spell would have greatly restored his confidence, plus he has had a fair amount of minutes pre-season. What is without question is that Addicks’ fans get fully behind this young keeper from the first minute when he walks out against QPR.
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By far. This morning Johann Berg Gudmundsson put pen to paper on a new four year contract, which sends fans many positive messages after a summer so far of frustration and concern.
From the club’s point of view it shows ambition and no doubt securing the Icelandic on this improved deal did not come cheap. It also means, rightly, that they should get good money for him when it is time to sell.
From Gudmundsson: “We want to build a squad for the future and I am one part of that,” he said. “It is really nice for all of the squad to know that players are sticking around and that we are getting some new signings as well. We know that the football club are serious about what they want to do.”
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First win in 5 or unbeaten in 4. Depends how you look at our closing of this very strange season. I’m just glad that those at The Valley were sent home happy after a 5th goal in Charlton colours for Tony Watt, Watt, Watt and another penalty from Yoni Buyens.
It sounded another game of two halves as Guy Luzon tinkered with his squad resting Jordan Cousins, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Roger Johnson. Luzon’s team selection was also a chance for Alou Diarra to shine in central midfield and for Chris Eagles to play for a new contract out wide. Diarra lasted 11 minutes, Eagles 45. The Frenchman leaving the fray with a knee injury. Please click for more
“We can’t be letting five/ten players go, we need consistency and I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the ins and outs over the summer, that’s for sure.”
I have been impressed with what I have seen and heard from Stephen Henderson since he arrived in SE7 last summer. He has been very impressive in goal and speaks well, and clearly is enjoying his time at the club, despite his absence through injury.
If it wasn’t for the shoulder injury the Irishman would have by now played for the Addicks more than any other club in his career, which has spanned 8 years and 10 different teams, 11 if you include Aston Villa where he started in their youth team.
So it is no surprise that Henderson is so bullish, finally finding a club that has immersed him and where he has found some affinity. Interesting then that he was quoted as saying the above at the top of this post.
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And not just down at Selhurst Park where apparently Steve Parish has agreed a £2m compensation with Mike Ashley for Alan Pardew’s services! A marriage made in heaven.
The transfer window opens on New Year’s Day and although it remains to be seen what plans Roland Duchâtelet has for us, the Charlton rumours are rolling in.
The gift that keeps on giving is Andy Delort, signed by Wigan for £3m on summer deadline day in a blaze of self-social media publicity driven mostly by his Dad. It was no secret that Duchâtelet had banked on bringing in the 23-year old from Tours who was joint top scorer in Ligue 2 last season.
In the end, and the Belgian could hardly be blamed, the self-aggrandizing and inflated fee was enough to put the Addicks off. Since, Delort has struggled to make any impact at all with Wigan. Signed by Uwe Rosler, but dropped to the development team, Delort has not even made a matchday squad for the Latics under new manager Malky Mackay. Delort in 8 Championship appearances has yet to register a goal, but has scored 5 for Wigan’s development side against the likes of Morecombe, Walsall and Tranmere.
Talk is that Delort will move to The Valley on loan until the end of the season.
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Capped 43 times by the Philippines, Enfield born goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has joined Charlton on loan from Oldham Athletic until the end of the year. You may remember he was with us in March 2011 when at Fulham, but Mark Hughes recalled him after just a week.
Etheridge has a Filipino mother and Ben Roberts has obviously been following the 24-year old’s progress, which took him from Fulham to Oldham in the summer after making just 1 appearance in 8 years at Craven Cottage, despite being highly rated.
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I left Bermuda on Thursday night due to there being a hurricane blowing a little too powerful for comfort, but even if I was avoiding a hurricane I was still hoping for a little more than a puff of air from my Addicks in Dorset yesterday.
There should be no sugarcoating this performance – it was poor, rubbish in fact.
The Addicks were obviously going to lose their unbeaten record at some time, but to lose it without so much of a whimper was very disappointing. From the off to the last minute our ball retention was poor, we lacked invention, never looked like scoring and were bereft of any pace, sinew or coherence.
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The club announced the signing of Stephen Henderson on a 3-year deal this morning.
The 26-year old goalkeeper was a free agent after having his West Ham contract mutually cancelled last week. Originally it was suggested that we were going to take him on loan, but the issue was his 20k a week wages.
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Chicago Addick 